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What Every Parent Should Know About Sports Training For The College-Bound Athlete (Part 2)

Get Your Kid’s Name Out There College Recruiting Parents

If your child wants to compete in college sports he should send an email expressing his interest  to the programs he likes.  For some bonus points your child can ask about what they should do to stay in shape during the off-season.

In the best case scenario a college strength and conditioning coach will send your student-athlete a copy of the college’s conditioning and/or strength routine. By making the initial contact with college coaches it will open up the door for further relationship building between athlete and coach.

Seek Professional Help

Not all sports training programs are created equal. Keep in mind that a college sports workout is not always the best workout for a high school athlete.  If your child is thinking about stepping into a college routine have it looked at by a professional trainer first. A professional trainer will be able to better judge how suitable a workout is for an athlete in the beginning stages of his career and possibly be able to adapt the workout to best suit an individual student-athlete.

Sport Specific Training

Student-athletes will find it beneficial to be evaluated by a professional trainer with knowledge about training for their specific sport. Trainers can give expert advice and teach athletes the proper form and exercises they’ll need to do in order to accomplish their athletic goals. A trainer will be able to evaluate the athlete’s form and posture during sessions in order to prevent injury and strain.

Protect and Strengthen Your Core

One of the most injured places in the weight room is the back. Make sure that your student-athlete is safe when using weights.  Your son or daughter should be practicing the right type of exercises to build up their core muscles in order to help in preventing future sports-related injuries.

Take Time Off

The most important thing to remember when your child is sports training is that they are getting an adequate amount of time off from the weight room.  Training too much can make one just as injury prone as training too little. Check in with your child to make sure they’re not “maxing out” during each workout session and, if possible, have them check in with a professional trainer to go over their workout routine.

A Good Idea: Cross-Training

Another common off-season training tip is to train in a complementary sport or activity. Think football players training in ballet for balance and golfers training in yoga for the mental stability. If your student-athlete enjoys different types of sports or physical activities then having them train for them in the off-season is a great option. Sports trainers recommend cross-training in activities like swimming and yoga because of the benefits of building core muscle strength that is beneficial in all team sports.

A good off-season training schedule will allow your student-athlete to grow and develop into a stronger and more prepared athlete, which will assist them in increasing their chances of playing at the collegiate level.

Read the first part of this article… Sports training.. Dedication and discipline.

If you have questions or comments about sports training please use the comments section below or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Are you ready for the NEXT STEP!